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Amalungiselelo Okwakha IThempeli
1 USolomoni wathi akwakhiwe ithempeli leBizo likaThixo kanye lesigodlo sakhe. 2 Wabutha amadoda azinkulungwane ezingamatshumi ayisikhombisa (70,000) awokuthwala imithwalo, lamadoda azinkulungwane ezingamatshumi ayisificaminwembili (80,000) awokubaza amatshe emaqaqeni, lazinkulungwane ezintathu lamakhulu ayisithupha (3,600) ayezakhangela abasebenzayo.
3 USolomoni wakhupha ilizwi elalisiya kuHiramu inkosi yaseThire lisithi:
“Ngithumela izigodo zomsedari njengalokhu owakwenza kubaba uDavida owawumthumela umsedari ukuthi azakhele isigodlo ayezahlala kuso. 4 Sengilungiselela ukwakha ithempeli leBizo likaThixo uNkulunkulu wami lokulinikela kuye ukutshisela impepha eloqhatshi olumnandi phambi kwakhe, lokunikela isinkwa esingcwele ngezikhathi zonke, lokunikela iminikelo yokutshiswa ekuseni lantambama langeSabatha langokuThwasa kweziNyanga kanye lasemikhosini emisiweyo kaThixo uNkulunkulu wethu. Lokhu ngokumiselwe u-Israyeli ngokungapheliyo.
5 Ithempeli engizalakha lizaqakatheka, ngoba uNkulunkulu wethu mkhulu kulabo bonke onkulunkulu. 6 Ngubani ozamakhela ithempeli, njengoba lamazulu, kanye lamazulu aphezulu engqongeni, angeke amanele. Pho ngingubani mina ukuba ngimakhele ithempeli, ngaphandle kwendawo yokutshisela imihlatshelo phambi kwakhe?
7 Ngakho, ngithumela indoda eyingcitshi ekusebenzeni ngegolide langesiliva, ithusi lensimbi, langamalembu ayibubende labomvu laluhlaza, ekwaziyo ukubalaza, ukuthi izosebenzela koJuda laseJerusalema labami abazingcitshi emisebenzini yezandla, labo abalethwa ngubaba uDavida.
8 Ngithumela izigodo zomsedari lezephayini leze-aligumi ezivela eLebhanoni, ngoba ngiyakwazi ukuthi abantu bakho bazingcitshi ekugamuleni izigodo khonale. Abantu bami bazasebenza labakho 9 bengilethela izigodo ezinengi, ngoba ithempeli engilakhayo kufanele libe ngelikhulu njalo elibukekayo. 10 Ngizanika izinceku zakho, abagamuli bezigodo, ingqoloyi ecolekileyo eyizilinganiso ezizinkulungwane ezingamatshumi amabili, izilinganiso zebhali ezizinkulungwane ezingamatshumi amabili, amatshumi amabili ezinkulungwane zezilinganiso zewayini kanye lezilinganiso zezithelo ze-oliva eziyizinkulungwane ezingamatshumi amabili.”
11 UHiramu inkosi yaseThire waloba incwadi ephendula uSolomoni wathi:
“Kungenxa yokuthi uThixo uyabathanda abantu bakhe, kungakho ukwenze waba yinkosi yabo.”
12 UHiramu wabuye wengezelela wathi:
“Udumo kuye uThixo, uNkulunkulu ka-Israyeli, yena owadala izulu lomhlaba! Unike inkosi uDavida indodana ehlakaniphileyo, egcwele ukukhalipha lombono, ezakwakhela uThixo ithempeli njalo izakhele layo isigodlo sayo.
13 Ngikuthumela uHuramu-Abhi, indoda eyingcitshi kakhulu, 14 unina wayo wayedabuka koDani loyise evela eThire. Wafundela ukusebenza igolide lesiliva, ithusi lensimbi, ilitshe lezigodo, kanye lamalembu ayibubende, aluhlaza labomvu lelineni elicolekileyo. Ulobuciko kukho konke ukubalaza lokulungisa amise izimo zezifanekiso aziphiweyo. Uzasebenza lezingcitshi zakho lalaba abenkosi yami, enguyihlo uDavida.
15 Ngakho inkosi yami kayithumele izinceku zayo ingqoloyi lebhali lamafutha e-oliva kanye lewayini njengokuthembisa kwayo. 16 Thina sizagamula zonke izigodo zeLebhanoni ozifunayo, sizenze iminyaba ezandenda olwandle igelezele eJopha. Wena uyihlangabeze uyithwalele eJerusalema.”
17 USolomoni wasebala bonke abezizweni ababeko-Israyeli, ngemva kokubalwa okwakwenziwe nguyise uDavida; kwatholakala kuyikuthi babezinkulungwane ezilikhulu elilamatshumi amahlanu lantathu, lamakhulu ayisithupha (153,600). 18 Wasesithi abazinkulungwane ezingamatshumi ayisikhombisa (70,000) ababengabokuthwala, kuthi abazinkulungwane ezingamatshumi ayisificaminwembili (80,000) babengabokubaza amatshe emaqaqeni, abazinkulungwane ezintathu lamakhulu ayisithupha (3,600) babengabokukhangela abasebenzayo.